Potassium

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT POTASSIUM - PAGE 3

INDIVIDUALS prone to upset stomachs should toss their pepper shakers into the garbage, says Dr. David Graham of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Studies show both types of pepper -- red and black -- increase acid secretions in the stomach and that red pepper causes minor bleeding of the stomach lining, Graham said. A digestive enzyme called pepsin increases, while the amount of potassium drops significantly.

Fennel, also called finocchio, is rich in vitamin A and contains a fair amount of calcium, phosphorus and potassium. In the produce bin, fennel looks like a bulbous cousin of celery. The feathery greenery can be snipped and used for garnishes. The base and stems can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in a variety of methods including braising and sauteing.

Cardinal John Krol, former head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was hospitalized Monday after complaining of shortness of breath. Krol was admitted to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. His condition was not immediately available. Krol, 83, has a history of health problems. Most recently, he was hospitalized for two weeks in February for treatment of dehydration and high potassium levels from a virus and diabetes.

ROME -- Four Moroccans suspected of plotting an attack in Rome were charged Thursday with subversive association. The men reportedly had maps of Rome showing the U.S. Embassy and the city's water-supply system, along with eight pounds of a compound that is a chemical cousin to cyanide. Officials said the substance -- potassium ferrocyanide -- could be converted to deadly cyanide only with great difficulty.

Three critically ill infants died after they were given the wrong intravenous solution at a hospital, which announced Friday it had suspended three pharmacy workers. Albert Einstein Medical Center blamed human error in its pharmacy for the deaths in the neonatal intensive care unit on June 15 and 16. The infants were given an IV solution that contained potassium, which caused a drop in their heart rates, hospital president Martin Goldsmith said.

Langford, a University of Mississippi Medical Center professor and a noted authority on high blood pressure, died Saturday in Jackson, Miss., at age 68. He had been hospitalized after suffering an aneurysm. Langford was among the first to point to differences in potassium intake as a possible explanation for variations in the occurrence of high blood pressure among ethnic groups in the United States.

Taking on not one but two difficult tasks of modifying human behavior, health psychologist Dawn Wilson is feeling pretty good about her latest research efforts.She is lead author of a recent study showing that adding more potassium to the diet can help lower nighttime blood pressure for African-American teenagers, a demographic group at high risk for hypertension. The typical black adolescent is twice as likely to develop the condition in early adulthood as white teens.The first tough step was persuading teenagers to do something - anything - different.

Toughen your lawn for winter with a potash-only fertilizer. University of Florida turf specialists say this single nutrient, also called potassium, is responsible for increasing winter hardiness and disease resistance.You won't need a lot of potash. Just one pound is recommended for every 1,000 square feet of turf. This can be provided by 1.6 pounds of muriate of potash or 2 pounds of potassium sulfate available from garden centers. Gardeners can substitute a winterizer fertilizer, which is also high in potash.

Here are some tips to help make you a better shopper.Sulfite, a food preservative, adversely affects many people, especially asthmatics. For that reason, the use of sulfites on fresh fruits and vegetables has been officially banned except for use on potatoes. Yet, numerous other foods are still treated with sulfites.What to do? Read the label. For persons who know or suspect they are allergic to sulfites, reading labels is important. Look for the following words: potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite and sulfur dioxide.

ADD PIZAZZ AND POWER TO YOUR SALAD Making a salad that satisfies and yet leaves you feeling virtuous is easy. Start with the darkest possible greens (iceberg lettuce is water masquerading as a vegetable) and add 3 or 4 ounces of lean protein, suggests Self magazine. Protein is key to creating a meal-worthy salad because it's filling, says Kathy McManus, director of the nutrition department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Try these creative add-ins: - Artichoke hearts: Vitamin C, folate, potassium, magnesium, fiber.